The Change In Sasuke Uchiha
by EnergyEmber
Summary: What ever happened to cause Sasuke to turn on his friends? Was it an outside influence? His brother? Orochimaru? Was it something he could not control? Fate? Destiny? Or was it the darkness within his own soul, that stole his will one day...


**Disclaimer: I do not own the Naruto series, this is purely fan-made**

_Have you ever wondered exactly what point in the series it was that Sasuke got to the point of no return? _

_We all have our theories, but what's the real reason?_

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Silence echoes through the dark forest, its branches eerily still. Their leaves are beginning to fall, despite their lush green color. The hard cold ground seems not capable of sustaining any form of life, let alone an endless thicket of trees. There is no sign of any other form of life, except for a young boy, as he begins to stir.

_Where am I?_

Opening his dark eyes, he slowly rises to his feet ignoring how heavy his body feels. He stubbornly drags his feet along the frozen ground, trying to find a sign of familiarity.

_How did I get here?_

A sharp wind blows through him, stealing his breath. He clutches his sides in pain, desperately trying to stay on his feet. Small, cuts appear on his arms and legs, as blood begins to trickle down his wounds. His breathing begins to quicken, as a flood of images invades his mind and his memory resurfaces.

_That's right! I was fighting Itachi. He was after Naruto._

"Naruto!" he shouts, as he starts to shuffle his feet again, forcing himself forward. "Naruto!" he yells again, his voice echoing off the trees. He spots a figure in the distance. Relieved to find another person, the boy quickens his pace. As the gap closes between them, the boy is able to see the figure's features. The man is wearing a long black coat with red clouds and his straight black hair frames his cold face. The boy immediately slows down after recognizing the man. His expression changes dramatically from relief to a scowl and hisses, "Itachi!"

"Not exactly little brother" says a soft voice from behind. He spins around to discover a younger version of Itachi with a soften expression, had spoken. It's the older bother he once looked up to, the one he once loved with all his heart, before he betrayed him. An expression of shock and confusion spreads across the boy's face, as he looks back and forth between the two figures. The present Itachi, he craves revenge against, and the Itachi he once cared for.

"Then who are you?" he asks the first figure. An uncharacteristic smirk forms on his stern face and a black fog engulfs the figure. Once the fog clears, the original man is no longer present and in his place stands a young boy, about 13 years of age. He has short black hair, spiked in the back, and is wearing a blue shirt, black shorts, and light blue sandals. The two boys are mirror images of one another.

"I'm you, Sasuke" sates the copycat. "Only _I'm_ not weak and you're holding me back!" The original Sasuke gets into a defensive position, reaching for his weapon pouch. He narrows his dark eyes, yet is unable to activate his sharingan.

"I don't understand, this is some kind of genjustu, right?" The original Sasuke questions.

"What's to understand? I crave power and revenge, I am the avenger that everyone expects you to be," says the copycat, "but you are the half of us that dreams of a happy future with your precious people. And that needs to change." He pushes Sasuke backwards, sending a dark poison through him, rendering his limbs useless. The remaining Itachi, still standing behind Sasuke, catches him in a warm embrace.

"Don't be afraid, little brother…" whispers Itachi, before morphing into a tree, his arms changing into ropes to bind Sasuke.

"I'm going to lock you away, along with our pleasant memories and stupid dreams of the future."

"I won't … let you" the original Sasuke chokes, completely out of breath. He struggles against the ropes, his dark eyes shining with determination.

The copycat merely smirks at the ridiculous statement, when a loud voice, separate from the two boys, echo through the forest, "Sasuke!"

"Naruto…?" weakly whispers the original Sasuke.

"Heh, to bad you'll never see him again," says the copycat as he turns to take his leave. "Now_ I_ need to wake up. I have lots to do. After all I do need to undo all those pathetic ties you created." He walks into the distant and only light source deep within the forest, leaving his other half to sink further into the darkness, never to re-surface again.

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**Thank you for reading, I would be very happy if you would review.**


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